Bernard petciiaft



No. 6l9,837. Patented Feb. 2|, I899.

B. PETUHAFT. FOOT COVERING.

(Application filed Oct. 7, 1898.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES I BERNARD PETOHAFT,

PATENT OFEIcE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOOT-COVERING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,837, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed October 7, 1898- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD PETCHAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Foot-Ooverin gs, of which the following is a specification.

Devices have heretofore been made to be placed over the toe portions of the foot and eitherinside the stocking or outside the stocking, and in some instances separate receptacles have been made in the stocking or in the foot-covering for the toes.

In many instances the interior of a boot or shoe sole is rough and uncomfortable to the foot or the stocking is quickly and unnecessarily worn by such roughness. In addition to this there is frequently considerable motion between the toes and the interior of the shoe or boot, and this is a source of injury to the foot, causing corns or blisters.

The present invention relates to a covering for the toes that is adapted to being enlarged by a winding sufficient to keep the toes together and to prevent looseness between the front part of the foot and the interior of the shoe, and I combine with the toe-covering a sole-piece adapted to occupy the interior of the boot or shoe beneath the foot, so as to protect the foot from roughness and at the same time to lessen wear upon the stocking, or the present improved covering can be worn in place of a stocking.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the parts of the toe-covering as laid out flat. Fig. 2 shows the same as applied to and wound around the toe portion of the foot; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the sheath, the solepiece, and winding-strip.

The sheath or covering A, into which the toes are inserted, is to be of kid, stockinet, or other material adapted to the purpose, and it is either made with separate receptacles for the toes or similar to the end of an ordinary stocking, and the sole-piece B extends back from the covering A and is of a size and shape adapted to lie beneath the foot and between the same and the inner side of the boot or shoe sole.

It is to be understood that the part A, which in Fig. 1 is represented as laid out flat, passes across over the toes and is usually connected at its front edge 2 and side edge 3 at or near Serial No. 692,949. (No model.)

the edge of the sole-piece B to form the sheath into which the toes are inserted, either all together or with separate sheathsone for each too, as aforesaid-and which separate toesheaths may be made in the fabric or material of which the article is composed.

The parts thus far described are well adapted to use because the sole-piece B is not lia ble to become misplaced, as it is connected to or integral with the covering A for the toes and front part of the foot, but inasmuch as the boot or shoe is frequently loose around the toes and the comfort of the wearer is increased by a slight lateral compression of the front part of the foot I provide the winding strip 0, extending off at one side of the sheath A, and of sufficient length to allow the same to be wound around the toe portion of the foot to bind the same with whatever force may be desired by the wearer, and this winding also fills up looseness in the boot or shoe, so that motion is prevented of the toes and the toes are padded or protected by the winding, so that they are not liable to injury, and corns, bunnions, 0r blisters are prevented.

It is advantageous to make the covering of a material that will allow perspiration to pass off freely, and where the article is made with a separate sheath, one for each toe, the skin is retained in a comparatively dry condition and the risk of soft corns avoided.

I am aware that sandals have been made with a sheath for the toes and forward part of the foot and a'sole-piece extending beneath the foot. In the present instance the strip to be wound around the toes protects them whether the sole-piece is employed or not, and this device is only adapted to being introduced into a boot or shoe.

I claim as my invention The herein-described protection for the front part of the foot, consisting of a sheath adapted to receive the toes and front part of the foot and an elongated strip connected at one end to the sheath and adapted to be wound about the foot of the wearer and protect the toes, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 6th day of October, 1898.

B. PETCHAFT.

Witnesses:

GEo. T. PINoKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

